Pita bread is a bread of Middle Eastern origin. It is estimated to have been in existence for over 2000 years. The bread is typically circular or oval and is relatively flat. The diameter of the circular pita bread generally ranges from 3 to 9 inches, although larger and smaller loaves may also be found. A pita bread loaf comprises a single piece of circular bread having an upper and lower face forming an internal chamber, called a pocket. The upper and lower faces are attached along the perimeter of each loaf. Typically a pita bread loaf is cut either along its diameter or along cord off-center from said diameter. This cutting exposes the pockets of the two portions of the loaf which may be then filled with other food ingredients such as is well known in the art. The position of the cut generally depends on the size or the amount of food ingredients used in filling the pockets. Typically, such food ingredients include one or more of vegetables, meats, breads, and grains, and the food material is generally covered with a sauce.
A problem arises in that many times the liquid portion of the food ingredients disposed within the pocket can leak out of the seam or upper or lower face of the pocket bread causing annoying and messy dripping on the pita eater. To some extent, the leakage is a result of absorbtion of the liquids into the bread. However, to a large extent the leakage is caused by events which result during the baking process of the pita bread. For a complete understanding of these effects, it is helpful to review the standard method used in preparation of the commercial pita bread. In the first step, the mixture of the pita bread dough including water, flour, yeast, salt, and any other ingredients, is mixed together in a large mixer for approximately 15 minutes. In the second step, the pita bread is proofed for 30 minutes, which means that the pita bread is allowed to rest, during which time fermentation takes place. In the third step, the pita dough is cut and rounded into a ball shape in a machine provided for that purpose. In the fourth step, the dough is again proofed for 15 to 20 minutes allowing it to further ferment. In the fifth step, the pita is run through a sheeter which first flattens the dough in one direction forming an egg or oval shaped portion, and then the dough is flattened in a second direction to provide it with a substantially circular conformation. In the six step, the dough is then proofed another time for 15 to 20 minutes. Generally, anywhere between the third and the six step, the dough is placed upon a conveyor which carries it from one step to the next up through the cooling step noted below. In the seventh step, the dough is baked in an oven set at approximately 1500 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 seconds. Prior to the baking step, as the dough enters the oven, there is usually a person, or machine, which ensures that the individual pieces of pita dough are separated, and not touching, to avoid having the individual pita loaves stick together.
During the baking step, the upper and lower surfaces of the pita which form the pocket expand as the air inside expands until the pressure inside the pita is so great that cracks and crevices, herein called faults, form in the upper and/or lower surfaces of the pita loaf or in the seams or perimeter between the upper and lower surface. It is these crevices or faults which cause the pita to leak at any of a number of arbitrary positions thereon.
Finally, after the baking step in the oven, the bread is cooled in step 8 and then packaged in step 9 for commercial distribution.
At the present time there is only one prior art method of manufacturing pita bread having a pressure relief system to allow the release of hot air and gases in the pita bread thereby preventing the aforemention undesired crevices and cracks in the surface thereof. This method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,979 which discloses providing a rupture line comprising a weakened area along the surface of the pita bread by preforating, flattening, thinning, or otherwise structurally weakening the dough prior to the baking thereof. Thus, as disclosed in the Patent, when the dough is baked, the mechanically-weakened area ruptures thereby causing a tearline to form as a result of the hot air and gases bursting through the surface of said pita. In addition, it is also claimed that this method allows the user of the pita bread to easily tear the pita bread along the rupture line. The method of U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,979 requires in addition to the regular steps of making pita bread, the scoring, thinning, perforating and otherwise causing a weakened rupture line to the dough prior to baking. This process requires additional time and as well, additional machinery, thereby slowing down the process and/or increasing the cost of making the pita bread.
Furthermore, in all of the prior art systems, there is an intentional separation of the different loaves prior to baking them into the oven, for the purpose of preventing the loaves from sticking together. The present invention solves the problems of the prior art with respect to the formation of unpredictable faults in the pita bread causing leakage therethrough.